What Would Jimmy Do?

I was reading an article earlier today about the recent California wildfires. It’s amazing how much damage was done to property and the cost, while still unknown, reaches into dollar figures that we actually can’t comprehend. Most of the article was devoted to describing the devastation that the area suffered, but it also covered causes, and possible causes, for the fire(s). There are some “interesting” alternative explanations for the wildfires. One theory claimed that the burn patterns seen in some photos could only be explained by targeted lasers, which must have been operated by terrorist groups, the U.S. government, aliens or some other agitated party. These lasers supposedly were shot at California from either planes, spaceships or perhaps unmanned drones, for reasons that were not entirely clear. The story listed a few more conspiracy theories with little or no evidence to support their claims, but like most claims of conspiracy, lack of evidence doesn’t stop blogs, forums, YouTube channels and various other outlets from sharing sensational conspiracy-theorist explanations in the aftermath of most any tragedy.

Conspiracies do happen — there’s probably a kernel of truth or at least possibility behind most of these theories. There are many conspiracy theories and some are really weird. You’ve probably heard about people claiming to have seen flying saucers in the sky and others claim to have been kidnapped by the things, brought aboard and submitted to intrusive physical examinations. The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center have been blamed on the government as a way to get us into war in Iraq. And according to some, the United States never did land on the moon and the entire thing was a charade to fool the world during the Cold War. Without much thought, this could become a really long list.

Why do people believe these plots and why do most of them involve government cover-ups? There seems to be a kind of universal feeling of suspicion towards government these days. Maybe that’s the reason why so many Americans believe in these theories. Maybe people just distrust authority and there’s an immediate tendency to believe the government is up to no good. Or maybe it’s just a sign of the times — the country is trying to function in a world that seems increasingly chaotic and war-like with us looking more like part of the problem rather than seeking a solution. I don’t know, but if you’ve read The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, I think maybe he was right when he said, “Everyone loves a conspiracy.”
— 30 —

Today is George Washington’s Birthday — his “real” birthday, not the third Monday in February as dictated by Congress. I put the “real” in quotes because actually it’s not his real birthday… it’s complicated — check the blog entry for last year at this time if you’re interested in the real story. Anyhow, for sake of simplicity, let’s call it his real birthday.

As everyone knows, George was the first President of the United States and all through grade school I saw his picture hanging in our classroom every day. The picture hanging in our classroom always looked like he was wearing a wig, but the hair was his own. His hair wasn’t really white — it was reddish brown. It only looked white because he powdered it (a common practice in the day.) George was one of our biggest presidents — he weighed 200 pounds and was 6 feet, 2 inches tall. Some of his favorite foods were cream of peanut soup, mashed sweet potatoes with coconut, and string beans with mushrooms. He helped plan the nation’s new capital city that was named for him, but he never lived there. The nation’s capital was New York, and later Philadelphia when he was president.

We all know that he married Martha Dandridge Custis when he was 26. Martha already had two children, Jacky and Patsy. Washington never had any children of his own. Something not generally discussed much is that Martha wasn’t George’s first love. He met Sally Fairfax when he was 16 and fell in love. She taught George the best manners for moving in Virginia’s highest social circles and how to dance the minuet. Sally married one of George’s closest friends, George Williams Fairfax. Today you can’t go far in Northern Virginia with seeing the name Fairfax.
Happy real birthday, George!
— 30 —

We were visiting with some friends over the weekend and someone said that one of the people we had mentioned in the conversation was paranoid. I didn’t think much about it at the time, but later I got to thinking about that word. I guess I’ve heard it at least hundreds of times over the years, but I realize that I seem to be hearing it more lately. And it’s a little disturbing that the term appears  in the news — often involving government officials.

If a person is paranoid, they usually have a suspiciousness and general mistrust of others. They are usually hypersensitive, easily insulted — they think they are in danger and look for signs that people are out to get them.

Pronoia is the positive counterpart of paranoia… it is the delusion that others think well of you. Actions and products of one’s efforts are thought to be well received and praised by others, mere acquaintances are thought to be close friends, politeness and the exchange of pleasantries are taken as expressions of deep attachment and the promise of future support.

Now, here’s my question — can a person have both paranoia and pronoia characteristics simultaneously? It appears that they can. Not to pick on the current President again, but he seems to exhibit both traits — very often in the same speech or tweet. Maybe this is a mechanism that someone uses for not living in, or accepting the real world. Or, maybe someone is so self-centered as to believe everything — good or bad — is about them. This is just where my mind wandered off to today….
— 30 —

Today is Presidents’ Day. It’s a federal holiday thanks to the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill passed by Congress in 1968. Actually, I’ve always been a little confused as to exactly what the day commemorates. When I was growing up, the February “holidays” I remember were Valentine’s Day, Washington’s birthday and Lincoln’s birthday. I know Valentine’s Day wasn’t a holiday and we had to go to school, but it was a fun day at school because we always had a Valentine party. Washington’s  and Lincoln’s birthdays were days off from school. I don’t remember any big celebrations, but we didn’t have to go to school on their birthdays.

But in 1968 the bill passed by Congress, intended to create more three-day weekends for federal employees, moved the observance of three existing federal holidays (Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day) from fixed calendar dates to designated Mondays. It also added a new federal holiday, Columbus Day, that would also be observed on a Monday. (Legislation passed several years later restored the observance of Veterans Day to November 11.) The legislation changed the observance of Washington’s Birthday from February 22 to the third Monday in February. It’s interesting that Washington’s Birthday can never be celebrated on his “actual” birthday, because the third Monday in February cannot fall any later than February 21.

All this fooling with the date didn’t change the fact that the third Monday in February was still “Washington’s Birthday.” Originally the Uniform Holidays Bill proposed moving the observance of Washington’s Birthday and renaming the holiday “President’s Day” — supposedly to honor both Washington and Lincoln, since both their birthdays were in February.  However, the name change got dropped out of the bill and the official designation of the federal holiday observed on the third Monday of February is, and always has been, Washington’s Birthday. To add more confusion, some people believe the day is understood to be a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. Presidents.

So no matter who or what you’re celebrating today — happy President’s Day.
— 30 —

Shepherdstown doesn’t have a traffic light. There are a couple outside of town, but none in Shepherdstown itself. When we moved here from Northern Virginia, there were traffic lights everywhere and any time you went any where, you had to factor in the amount of time you’d be waiting at traffic lights.

When the  town I grew up in (Maysville) was thriving, it was almost a big as Shepherdstown, and they actually installed a traffic light. It was only there for a few months — the residents just couldn’t handle all the new technology and the hassle of only being able to go when some light said it was ok. The light in Maysville only had red and green lights. It hung in the middle of the only “busy” intersection in town and had two bulbs. When the top bulb was lit the light showed red in two directions and green in two directions. When the light “changed” the other bulb on the bottom came on and then the red and green directions were reversed. There was no warning — it just changed.

The invention of the traffic signal is attributed to Lester Wire, a Detroit policeman in 1912. His light was a two-color, red-and-green light with a buzzer to warn pedestrians ahead of the impending transition. Apparently Maysville had one of Lester Wire’s lights — but without the buzzer. Wire’s basic design was modified by another policeman, Williams Potts, to include the three colors (red, amber and green) used in lights today.
Of course Maysville never could get past the two colors — goodness knows how they would have reacted to a traffic light with three colors….
— 30 —

I was privileged to make a speech at Kelly’s wedding a number of years ago. The object of the talk, as I understood it, was to give the newlyweds some words of advice — something that would be of help to them as they started out their new life together. I remember rambling on a bit, but I do believe I gave them good, practical advice for meeting challenges that they would face often. In fact, I gave them advice that I’d followed for many years, and it served me well. So I thought as a public service, I’d put that advice in a flow chart for my faithful readers. Trust me, it’ll get you through a lot of sticky, and un-sticky. situations. You’re all welcome.

— 30 —

Well, here it is Valentine’s Day again — last year Valentine’s Day fell on Ash Wednesday, presenting a dilemma for some people. It wasn’t a problem for us, because as I’ve mentioned in the past, we never celebrate Valentine’s Day on Valentine’s Day.

Every year around Valentine’s Day, I write something about the holiday and like a lot of the holidays that repeat, I’m running out of things to write. I usually include some facts about the day, like:
The first Valentine’s Day candy box was invented by Richard Cadbury in the late 19th century. Or, every Valentine’s Day, the Italian City of Verona receives approximately 1,000 letters that have been addressed to Juliet. This is where Romeo and Juliet, the young lovers in Shakespeare’s play, lived. Or maybe the fact that penicillin was introduced on February. 14 in 1929 — if you give this some serious thought it’s appropriate or ironic or something like that.

But I thought this year I might just pass along some useful information that a lot of people may not be aware of…. it may be a little late for this year, but tuck it away for next year.
You and your loved one can share romance at White Castle. You read that right — the fast-food burger chain takes reservations (via Open Table) for February 14.
The reservations include perks like hostess seating, music, table side service and decorations. White Castle said that last year, more than 30,000 customers enjoyed their Valentine’s Day experience. Many people have shared stories about meeting the loves of their lives, or forming lifelong friendships at White Castle. And — for those who’d rather be romantic in the privacy of their homes, White Castle offers a Valentine’s Day experience delivered to their customers.

I pass along this information as a public service… but no matter where you choose to celebrate, I hope you have a great time. I should mention that around our house, that Valentine’s Day is also a reminder that Christmas Decorations have to come down soon…
— 30 —

The controversy at the top of the Virginia government over yearbook photos continues with no universally accepted resolution in sight. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam has said he wasn’t going anywhere, despite calls for him to resign. In an interview with Gayle King of CBS This Morning, Northam said that 400 years have passed since the “first indentured servants from Africa landed on our shores.” Ms. King said, “Also known as slavery.” His response was “yeah.”
After the interview, Mr. Northam said that during a recent speech he referred to the indentured servants as enslaved. He said, “A historian advised me that the use of indentured was more historically accurate. The fact is, I’m still learning and committed to getting it right.”
I realized that I wasn’t sure either, so my extensive research kicked in… this is what I found.

Indentured servants first arrived in America in the decade following the settlement of Jamestown by the Virginia Company in 1607. The idea of indentured servitude was born because of a need for cheap labor. The earliest settlers realized that they had lots of land to care for, but no one to care for it.
The Thirty Year’s War had left Europe’s economy depressed, and many skilled and unskilled laborers were without work. The Virginia Company developed the system of indentured servitude to attract those workers. A new life in the New World offered a glimmer of hope; between one-half and two-thirds of the immigrants who came to the American colonies arrived as indentured servants.

Servants typically worked four to seven years in exchange for passage, boarding, and lodging. While the life of an indentured servant was harsh and restrictive, it wasn’t slavery. According to many historians, for those that survived the work and received their freedom package, they were better off than the new immigrants who came freely to the country. Their contract may have included at least 25 acres of land, a year’s worth of corn, arms, a cow and new clothes.

It was not until 1619 the first black Africans came to Virginia. Initially, they were treated as indentured servants and given the same opportunities for freedom as whites. However slave laws were soon passed and any small freedoms that might have existed for blacks were taken away. As demand for labor in the colonies grew, so did the cost of indentured servants. Many landowners also felt threatened by newly freed servants demand for land. Landowners soon turned to African slaves as a more profitable and ever-renewable source of labor and the shift from indentured servants to racial slavery began.

So — Indentured servants agreed to work for 4 – 7 years in exchange for transportation to the colonies. Slaves were brought to America against their will. There were slaves and indentured servants in all 13 colonies. Both worked at the same types of jobs — most worked without pay. Life was difficult for both — hours were long and hard. Indentured servants were eventually freed — most slaves were not.

I realize this is a much oversimplified description, but there are obvious differences. I think Governor Northam was right —he’s got a lot to learn. We all do…..
— 30 —

Today is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday — the sixteenth president of the United States and president during the Civil War, he will forever be remembered by his inspirational rise to fame, his efforts to rid the country of slavery, and his ability to hold together a divided nation. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg Address, and two outstanding inaugural addresses are widely regarded as some of the greatest speeches ever delivered by an American politician.

A few nights ago, Donald Trump again proclaimed that he is such a great president that the only predecessor he can be fairly compared to is Abraham Lincoln. Actually, there are are some similarities….
Both Lincoln and Trump were Republicans who defeated Democrats.
Lincoln suffered from depression‚ Trump finds many things “SAD!”
And of course they were/are both great orators, with inspiring quotes like:

“It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced…. That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” — Abraham Lincoln, Nov. 19, 1863 in Gettysburg.

“Why do we want all these people from [expletive] countries coming here?” — Donald Trump, Jan. 18, 2018, at the White House.

So, yea, there are some genuine parallels between Lincoln and Trump, but I think a number of years from now, historians will still be able to tell them apart…..
— 30 —

When I was putting away this year’s Christmas decorations, I happened to look at one of the old, crumpled-up pieces of paper that has been used for packing to store the decorations for years. It was an article from the January, 1970 issue of Modern Mechanix magazine. I don’t know if the magazine is even in publication any more, but I remember reading it years ago. Here’s a bit of the article — remember, the year is 1970…..

“Computers for the home have been envisioned by science fiction writers and engineers ever since a huge, unwieldy prototype was developed 25 years ago. The whole futuristic age they prophesied, with an omnipotent electronic monster named Horace in every living room, is still a long way from realization, but compact consumer computers have quietly entered the household. While the market hardly rivals TV sets or refrigerators, the computer-as-home-appliance is now more than just a toy for the wealthy or a mysterious instrument for technical specialists.
Those pioneer families who have one, like the Theodore Rodmans of Ardmore, Pa., have discovered their obedient machine can perform a large variety of useful functions. Dr. Rodman originally brought it home for medical research, but then his family found it could also plan mortgage payments, help out with homework, even play with the children. Although the cost is still high, computers like theirs have come within possible reach of a two-car family budget. A small, self-contained model is available for $8,000, complete. The Rodmans’ computer system, called time-sharing, uses a Teletype terminal connected to a big central unit via telephone. It costs $110 a month to rent, plus $7.50 per hour of use.”

The article goes on to describe how the family used the computer — so much that Dr. Rodman had trouble getting the computer to use for his medical project. The article concludes with a quote from Mrs. Rodman, “When the medical project is over, we’ve decided to buy our own terminal. It’s certainly a better investment that an automobile.”

I’m not sure what the point of this is — maybe that the world has changed, but we all know that… maybe that our kids would read the article and not even believe that people could live like that. Or, maybe we should clean out all the old packing material around our Christmas decorations — that was a current magazine when we started using it for packing. I think I’ll start reading all the old papers protecting our Christmas treasures every year when I get them out — I might discover all sorts of thing… like maybe even some day we can put a man on the moon….
— 30 —